Lightning, Artyukhin: Burying the hatchet?

That seems to be the case, if you take what agent Mark Gandler said on Thursday. The representative for Russian freight train Evgeny Artyukhin said he and Tampa Bay are talking about a contract. This would be a good thing for the Lightning as the 6-foot-4, 254-pound left wing would provide some muscle and forechecking power to a team that, for the most part last season, lacked a physical edge.

The Lightning was mum Thursday, but Gandler said, "Both sides want to see Evgeny back playing in Tampa next season and for the next few seasons."

Of a contract, he said, without giving specifics, "It think it's doable and it should be done."

This is an interesting turn of events, if it happens as the relationship between team and player, drafted 94th overall in 2001, has been contentious. After playing 72 games for the Lightning in 2005-06, Artyukhin, after a contract dispute, played 2006-07 in Russia for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv and had five goals, 13 points and 183 penalty minutes in 44 games. At the time, whispers were Artyukhin wanted $1-million a season. The Lightning offered one year at $600,000 and two years at $1.2-million ($500,000 and $700,000).

More contract squabbles in May led Artyukhin, though Gandler, to demand a trade. The Lightning, which had offered the league minimum $475,000 (a sum Gandler said was to punish his client for turning down the 2006-07 offers), said no. And Artyukhin split last season between Omsk and Russia's Central Army team.

Both sides, though, seem drawn to each other because of need. Artyukhin, though getting big money in his native Russia (probably in the $1-million range), has never flourished there. The Lightning would make the argument that his game, playing in an inferior league, has likely taken steps back. But Tampa Bay needs more of a physical presence. These needs might just be enough to bring the sides together. We'll see.

Comments

[Revolutionite]

Idiots. Wasn't feaster the best when we won the cup? Remember our goaltending problem? I guess it's just easier for you to blame the management, especially with the extent of knowledge most of you have.
Rev

[Revolutionite]

Roy must stay.

[boltflasher]

Thanks Matt. Duemig and Feaster are friends so that is BIG news indeed. Let ATL take him...I'm sure Eric Perrin will look forward to that...

[Hockey Chic]

Leo,

Well someones team won their game last night and it wasn't the Habs.

Whats up with that my canadien beer drinking buddy....lol Leo what is up with Price baby...

I would like to see the crapitals take it. But I think it is going to be the flyers. Vinny P may need to keep that beard.

I am still not sure about the Artie thing he may bring size but we need no other occupants in Torts dog house there is no room at the inn my friends.

All the games have been interesting and entertaining. I am still pissed we are not in it. But who knows maybe it will make them hungry for next year.

Go Bolts...

[matt]

Duemig said it right before he started with 3 hours of football talk on Thur. He said he didn't want to get into it right now(bc he knew he had football guests scheduled and didnt want any Bolt calls). But the kicker I thought was the fact he brought this up right before knowing he wouldnt be able to talk about it and knowing he wouldn't be on the air on Fri(played in Alstot golf tourney). So hopefully he will get into it on Mon. Maybe this is a purpose leak by the organization to judge fans reaction. I know Duemig and Feaster are friends and I know he never has really liked Torts.

My conspicery theory is Don Waddell(GM of ATL and US team) is going to convince Torts to quit or get in his ear to force his way out of Tampa during the World Cup. If he doesn't quit maybe Atl offers the Bolts some form of compansation to get him to be Atl next head coach. I'm sure we all remember what the dumas# Glazers gave up to get Gruden.

[Habs Suck]

Carey Price........my man!! 10 goals allowed in the last 60 shots he's seen. All of them facing the scoring powerhouse known as the Boston Bruins.

Impressive!

I think it's time to start talking trade with the hosers. Denis has better numbers than that!

Go Bruins!!

[boltflasher]

Someone mentioned Duemig saying Torts may be fired?....I did not hear his show...Can someone who did tell us more? Thanks

[Karma]

This whole thing is more sideshow by that weasel Mark Gandler. You haven't heard a word from the Lightning -- just Gandler saying that both sides want to make the deal happen.
Frankly, I'll believe it when I see it. More likely that Feaster will work out a trade first, then sign and deal him.

So, anyone still hating the Caps? I tell ya, my initial anger with Matt Cooke is gone and I'm still hoping they can win the next to against the Flyers...

[léo]

Right here, Ajax.
You're right; they sucked last game.
Hopefully, they'll be back tonight.
sff

[Elwood]

And after Stamkos gets a taste of Dr. Doom-Tortorella, he'll flop and we'll all wonder why all the hype for a kid playing on a 3rd line at Norfolk.

But hey---Featser and Tortorella brought us a Cup...

Take your forever pills and keep smiling.

[Elwood]

And after Stamkos gets a taste of Dr. Doom-Tortorella, he'll flop and we'll all wonder why all the hype for a kid playing on a 3rd line at Norfolk.

But hey---Featser and Tortorella brought us a Cup...

Take your forever pills and keep smiling.

[Lady Bolt]

I liked Arty when he was here.. I didn't like what happened afterwards..
If he does come back, I hope he plays and acts like a Bolt is expected too. Am tired of primadonna's.

My question.. why is we get some really fantastic players and within a few months, their whole attitude and playing style changes ? The crumble ?

Ryan,Ranger,Ward..( to name a few) all were pretty good infront of the net.. now it seems most of our guys can't find the front of it.. including our stars.

Sure hope the newer guys don't take on blinders!

Why was it that the whole team had to try to "match" up w/ Brad Richards ?

Has our team become so predicatable that they are not efficient ?

I miss the wrap arounds, down the center break aways,etc.. that is what makes Evie and sid the kid so powerful!
Never know what they will do..just try to stay a step ahead. They have spirit that has not been broken!!

[ajax]

I was running out the door, my bad, my overall thought was the many mistakes covering many different subjects. So many parts of the organization have faultered, yet a zillion player changes and no blaming management? Time has written a sorry script for our decision makers, sorry fur da errs.

if roy is not coming back, the only one I see is tarnasky and sometimes o´brien, so for my opinion the fouth line could be good tarnasky - mcdonald - arty. But for is more important now take two top six forward and a top 2 D, arty issue could wait or if get done well is not bad for me at all...

[Lisa]

Well, I will give Feaster the benefit of the doubt and expect that he is looking for a replacement for Roy on the 4th line. As far as why he has not talked about the stay at home defenseman or the additional top 6 offensemen we need probably has to do with the fact that since it is not yet July 1st we could be accused of tampering if he starts listing specific names. And finally, to be fair to him, he has said that until the sale is finalized (or falls through completely), he does not have a gameplan to follow and does not have a budget, etc to make plans for the team.

We need this deal to finally be completed one way or the other. If we are this frustrated, imaging how bad it must be for the players and the front office. Let's get it done, let's get a decent budget somewhere in the middle between the salary cap and the salary floor (ideally around $50 million: I know, I am being very optimistic, but will just wait and see what happens).

[Hockey Chic]

Well guys and gals at least we got something to talk about. I am so tired of turning on espn and hearing about our x players. Vinny P's name was spoken so many times last night I wanted to scream. I know he had to go so we could make the playoffs right.

If I were Artie I would run like hell. Look what happened to Roy if you get into coaches dog house you never really get a reprieve. I liked the size of the guy as well and yes people were indeed afraid of his size.

I say what the heck bring him back and keep roy and tarno and possibly obie and see what happens. I bet the thugs would thinks twice about taking a jab at MSL or Vinny.

I just want some good moves starting with the completion of the sale of the team. We (The Fans) need closure and so do the players I am sure.

Ajax I was starting to think you had faded into the abyss. Leo where are you? How bout those habs... Just kidding.

Peace to all. Gotta go play some hockey!!

See ya and heres hoping the moves are good ones. DC are you in Bahamas somewhere sending the Blog posts??.. Hope so enjoy the time off..

Go Bolts!!

[Graham]

Ajax: the guy that knows for a fact tha t the guy that destroyed Chris Gratton in a fight never got in one(Artyukhin); that Denis and Gratton were free agents signings(hmm, both trades). Please at least begin to know what youre talking about before posting the random thoughts that pop in your head. Makes for better reading.

And who is Hvalat? I know who Hlavac is...I should get something for at least knowing the right name yeah?

[BoltAction]

Ah, Feaster... Can we count on you for nothing less than entertainment? I believe the answer is a simple "yes."

Well, if there's one thing that's gonna kick-start our Flyers-like rise back into post-season success, it is the signing of one Evgeni Artyukin (gezhundeit). Feaster's sure of it. I'm sure of it. And you should be sure of it.

(Please note sarcastic tone.)

Here I was thinking, you know, maybe a top-2 defenseman? Maybe a solid two-way player? I guess a 4th line goon should be good enough for me.

[Stacey]

I've always wondered why all of these young players have never amounted to anything in our minor system. Personnel problems, possibly? Coachs suck? You can't have this many prospects BOMB without finally taking a look around the joint and wondering "hmmm???" It's time to sack the whole lot of 'em.

[Nate Dogg]

I forgot to mention one thing before...I would take Arty back on one condition:

he takes Tarns' roster spot.

[Nate Dogg]

Ajax...come on...your knowledge is better than that...Denis wasn't acquired as a free agent, he was acquired through a trade for Modin and Norrena...

And to add the the drafting/farm system conversation, Some of the picks by the Lightning in recent years have been awful (Rogers, Mihalik, etc). However, i really don't think it's the Lightning's fault for the development of players such as Mike Egener and Adam Heinrich. If both players had panned out like many draft experts had predicted, we would've had our 4/5th defenseman and third line center filled for the last two years.

AKA: No need to trade for Gratton. No need to trade for OB.

Even though i would love to see our whole scouting staff be changed, you can't always blame them or the GM

[ajax]

I will be pithy on what I believe. We have signed many free agents the last two years. Most of them are minimum wage or darn near it. I think Roy was resigned because it only cost us 1/2 his salary. So many drifters, it ain't no coincidence. Every single person we lost, left for greener $$ pastures. We are real good at blank checks with none left for the rest of the team in a sport that dearly needs the "rest" of the team. When you go looking for a garage sale every summer you usually get someone elses junk. The biggest free agent we have signed in two years have been Denis, Kuba, and Gratton. Not exactly 5***** choices. Where do you start and where do you end with the conversation, no money to spend and when they do, they have failed miserably. The Dallas trade was huge though. I still think the state of the team pretty much falls under the umbrellas of Jay. Lousy drafts, lousy minor league devolpment and last but never least, lousy free agents. Add that to his horrible contract skills and you get a bottom team, us. As grama always said, the good news is you can only get better. Something to chew on about our dear Lightning, has anyone been watching Hvalat in Nashville? The guy never could get going here and was either a no show or bouncing around from line to line. He leaves and is getting raves, ice time, points and goals, all on a team much better than ours. What is the conclusion to that statement?? So much wrong and so many possible reasons. Get some new money, get some new freshness to the team (coach) and go from there. Pithy it wasn't.

[Tackleberry]

Ajax,
I know that Feaster is a bafoon but what about the Lightning scouts? Are they giving Jabba Feaster good options and Jabba goes for the cheapest? Or, are the scouts making bad picks?

The bolts dont have a good farm team. Norfolk is just taking up space in that league.

Is there available $ to sign Arty? I thought with the pending sale, that held up the renewal of contracts?

If Koules does not purchase by 28 May, who else is interested? Any info on them?

[Casper]

If we can't trade the bum, why in Hades would we want him?

I'll revive the phantom prediction of a year ago; Tortorella has more Tabasco in his shorts and will not make it through next season. But I bet Artyukhin is gone first.

By December, same dismal prognostication as last year.

[ajax]

Nate Dogg ya hit it smack on the head. Have said it before, huge sign outside the Forum.
Only minimum wage players need to apply
That is why the revolving door the past three years. That is why it takes 20 games to get any sense of "team"
That is why we will get same results if they stay with same pattern of free agents(a.k.a. low rent bums)

[BoltFlasher]

The reason Artuhkin did not get in any fights was no one would fight him...I saw him offer up several times and the other guy backed down...he's a scary sight coming down the ice with any speed...

[Sean]

Great news, I'm sure the guys on our penality kill will appreciate the extra ice time.

[Nate Dogg]

Tom "Steve" McQueen...

I don't neccessarily think allowing Arty to come back (with his tail between his legs) has to do with Feaster's stupidity, but rather how desperate we are to (re)acquire cheap labor because of the tight cap limit.

It'll be awhile before we have third/fourth line players making $1mill+

[ajax]

Arte never got in even one fight, not one. People refer to role for Roy? He plays 3-4 minutes a night and 0 during the playoffs. He was a luxury because Pitts paid half his salary. 800k for Arte, please rethink. This is a team that wanted to pay Perrin only minimum wage and he left and had almost 50 points for Atlanta. Perrin is 10x the player Arte was. Big hits, huge hits but zero hockey ability or sense, I often thought he was lost out there, the same way Roy looks lost during his stint. Good teams play their 4th line 8-10 minutes a night. We need solid players, that are disciplined and kill penalties and block shots, everything Roy never did. Great oohs and aahs but winning takes players not fan favorites.

[matt]

I dont remember Arty being a big time fighter. I remember him being very physical but I dont remember very many fights. And the takiing off the guys helmet and hitting him with it was a classic. He is the best fit on the 4th line maybe the 3rd if he finds a bit of a scoring touch. But if he does sign for less than a million, thats a great signing for Feaster. As long as its a 2-way deal. He may need some time in the minors to get used to the North American game again. Good news none-the-less. Now, if only Steve Duemig is right when he stated yesterday on his show that Torts may be fired, all will be right in Tampa for me.

[Tim]

I think this would be a great pickup, at the right price. And I agree with Ajax. Let Roy go. It's been interesting, but time to part ways. Look at some of the other tough guys in the league, like Brashear for instance, who isn't a liability on the ice. Brashear's done well for the Caps organization, and as such has been playing at some critical times in the Wash-Phil series. Imagine a Brashear Like Tough Guy-Tarnasky-Artyukhin line. That would be something to behold, and fear.

[Nan]

His only worth is on the fourth line and used as a hitter. I think he is a little on the wild side which doesn't fit Torts style so he probably wouldn't last here very long. If he wants back in, near bottom salary with a one year contract would be the only way to go.

[Boyle22rules]

You have gotta be kidding me....Roy was doing a great job forechecking and playing his ROLE. People like Roy and Artyukhin are role players in there and meant to do a job.

If they score its a bonus but its their job to muscle scoring lines and if they can sustain pressure in the offensive zone then its a job well done. While I would like to see Tarno and Arty play a line centered by Grats (please bring him back as well) people have gotta realize that not every line is going to score and that the vinny and marty line sucks up almost an entire period and change of a game. That doesn't even count the second line.

Bottom Line: The guys agent is a doofus. We could use Artyukhin, but we don't need him. Show him 800k or show him the door!

[léo]

You're right, ajax.
He was fantastic until that boneheaded mistake.
And then he crumbled.
Though I preferred that it happen in the regular season, I gotta admit, I was kinda morbidly fascinated by how quickly and drastically things unravelled for him.
He was awful. A rookie gaffe like I never seen.
And 2 of the 3 goals after that, aww man, c'mon! Ugh. He was terrible. Oh well,
Let's see if he bounces back.
sff

[Eric]

Are you kidding me? Stick him on a fourth line with Tarns and maybe we could actually have a decent rotation, which would mean cutting back on the minutes of the top guys.

You always need a guy who is willing to hit an opponent over the head with his helmet!!

[shane]

hey voice of the turtle, are you a turtle?

[Voice of the Turtle]

This, like every other matter concerning the Lightning's future, rests with the unsettled question of ownership. Much to its continued disadvantage, there will likely be more inactivity by this franchise.

Oh...one exception...there is a price increase for admission, and season ticket holders will pay more than last year to see 2007-08's most unsuccessful NHL hockey team play one fewer home games (owing to the scheduled home tilt in Prague). Apparently all prospective owners (old and potentially new) could agree on that matter.

As for Arty, at this point, I don't think anyone knows for sure what he is capable of contributing to the Bolts. His performances in Russia certainly fail to encourage sanguine expectations, but, clearly, they have made his scandalously abrasive agent, Mr. Gandler, seemingly easier to deal with (but, one wonders, by whom and under what authority?).

[ajax]

Always the headlines, rarely helping the team. If he signs for minimum wage, give him a spin, but Feaster make it a two way contract!!! Just a reminder that Karlsson led the Swedish elite league in scoring before coming here and scoring 5 goals in 111 games. Arte is another side show, but if you can't play in Russia you certainly can't play in the greatest show on earth. Roy? gang there are guys in the NHL that can fight and actually play hockey too. Let Roy go and end the misery. Same with Roy, two way contract. Crowd favorite definitely, haven't seen a lick of hockey out of him in years. You can't trust to play him. Say we make the playoffs, would anyone play him in the third period of a playoff game? Never. Let's get hockey p-l-a-y-e-r-s first. On a happier note, Prioe was awful, and you can't even blame the D on at least 3 of the 5 goals. Humble pie is soooooo good.

[boltflasher]

Even though Evgeny IS big, hopefully that is not going to make it THE "Big" offseason signing for the summer....

[boltflasher]

With regards to Artukhin, I agree with Lisa to the point that we need to wait and see what Feaster's expectation is on this....If Roy is not coming back as expected, then yeah, we need the guy for at least his physical presence, but not as a top 6 forward for sure...let's wait and see before jumping to conclusions...

[Tom "Steve" McQueen]

Gandler, a loser in his own right, needs to peddle Arty's sulking, pouting, greedy act someplace else in my opinion.

The news that Feaster is even considering this whiner is testimony to the fact that our GM is clueless about hockey talent and that he should return to the land of Krispy Kremes from whence he came.

[Graham]

Casper, you make me laugh with your goofy insight and wacky comments. Keep them coming!

I'm all for Arty being back here. Someone might actually hit somebody more than once every 3 or 4 games!

[Casper]

Well if Arty kept that same doofus agent/parasite, then he hasn't learned a thing and is still as stupid as ever.

We have limited coaching talent that cannot get through to athletes not as dense.

Yeah I see a train wreck all right.
Trade him! Trade him out West where there can be competent coaching, and he doesn't crash into us.!!

[Lisa]

We do need toughness, and this signing could work for both sides as long as it isn't another "reclamation project" trying to fit him into the top 2 lines. I certainly don't want to hear that we brought him in thinking that he has what it takes to be on the Vinny and Marty line.

If they bring him in on the 3rd or preferably 4th line (at least to start), then I would be all for it. Again, for the right money since we know that the bolts will not be going anywhere near the NHL cap this season (hopefully won't be right at the NHL floor, either)